Fruitvale, Oakland, California

37°46′47″N 122°13′13″W / 37.77972°N 122.22028°W / 37.77972; -122.22028

Fruitvale
Neighborhood of Oakland
Location of Fruitvale in Oakland
Coordinates: 37°46′47″N 122°13′13″W / 37.779722°N 122.220278°W / 37.779722; -122.220278
Country	United States
State	California
County	Alameda
City	Oakland
Population
• Total	50,294
ZIP Code	94601

Fruitvale (originally Fruit Vale and formerly Brays) is a neighborhood in Oakland, California, United States. It is located approximately 4 miles (6.44 km) southeast of Downtown, and is home to the city's largest Hispanic population, with Hispanics constituting 53.8% of Fruitvale's population.^[1] Fruitvale's ZIP code is 94601. It lies at an elevation of 49 feet (15 m).

The area got its name from the earlier "Fruit Vale", the fruit tree nursery (mostly apricots and cherries) established there by Henderson Luelling in the mid-19th century. After the 1906 earthquake, the onslaught of refugees from San Francisco caused a population boom, and the unincorporated neighborhood was annexed into the city of Oakland by 1909.

The Fruitvale shopping district is located along International Blvd. (formerly East 14th Street until 1995), from Fruitvale Avenue to 38th Avenue, and is one of the major commercial areas of the city. The area is home to many Latino businesses and hosts several annual cultural events, including a Cinco de Mayo parade and a Día De Los Muertos festival, which began in 1996 on International Blvd. Before the 1970s, the area had the Montgomery Wards West Coast distribution center and retail store located on the downtown Oakland side, roughly opposite East Oakland Hospital, both on East 14th Street. On the San Leandro side, to the south, was the Fruitvale Theater. In between, around 35th Avenue and E 14th St., were the Foodvale Market, a two-story department store, the post office, and a number of other businesses. St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church and Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School are both located one block north of International Blvd.